TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Emergency Management (EM)
  • EM 01.01.01: Organization engages in planning activities prior to developing its Emergency Management Plan
  • EM 02.01.01: Organization has an Emergency Action Plan
    • Emergency Management Plan
  • EM 02.02.01: As part of the Emergency Management Plan, the organization prepares for how it will communicate during emergencies

Emergency Management (EM)

EM 01.01.01: Organization engages in planning activities prior to developing its Emergency Management Plan

Revision Date:  September 29, 2020 

Written/Revised By: Alan Valdmets-Harris

Approved By: Emily Furnari, PhD

Policy Description:  

An emergency in a behavioral health care organization can suddenly and significantly affect its ability to provide services. Therefore, the organization needs to engage in planning activities that prepare it to form its Emergency Management Plan. These activities include considering likely emergencies and identifying risks when developing strategies for emergency preparedness. During these activities, the organization will consider hazards, such as adverse weather conditions, power outages, fire, or flooding, which could affect the organization’s location. This policy shall be applicable to corporate staff in both Austin, TX and Overland Park, KS. The head of the department will review on a biennial basis.

PROCEDURES:

Definitions:

Emergency: “can be either human-made or natural (such as an electrical system failure or a tornado), or a combination of both, and they exist on a continuum of severity.”

Disaster: “…a type of emergency that, due to its complexity, scope, or duration, threatens the organization’s capabilities and requires outside assistance to sustain patient and resident care, safety, or security functions.”

The Iris Telehealth leadership team will designate employees to be responsible for creating and maintaining an Emergency Management Plan (EMP). The EMP team must have at least one member from the Austin, TX headquarters as well as the Overland Park, KS office. The clinical operations team, which directly supports the Iris Telehealth providers conducting patient care, is housed in the Austin, TX location. This means the Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) will be exclusive to this location and the Overland Park office can fall under the same assessment. The Emergency Coordinator will annually review and revise the EMP based on the events logged in the incident log.

Iris Telehealth works in conjunction with the Norwood Tower building management team in determining the priorities for potential risk and emergencies. The likelihood of a potential emergency taking place, based on the HVA tool, helps Iris determine which mitigation activities will be applied. The incident log will be used to assess potential threats and improve upon the mitigation activities on an annual basis. Any utilization of resources will stem from an analysis of the priorities based on an annual review of the HVA tool. 

EM 02.01.01: Organization has an Emergency Action Plan

Revision Date:  September 29, 2020 

Written/Revised By: Alan Valdmets-Harris

Approved By: Emily Furnari, PhD

Policy Description:  

A successful response effort relies on a comprehensive and flexible Emergency Management Plan that guides decision making regarding how the behavioral health care organization will respond to emergencies, including plans to continue care, treatment, or services or to close in specified circumstances. The plan also supports decision making at the onset of an emergency and as an emergency evolves. While the Emergency Management Plan can be designed in a variety of ways, it must address response procedures that are adaptable in supporting key areas that could be affected by different types of emergencies. This policy shall be applicable to Iris corporate staff. The head of the department will review on a biennial basis.

PROCEDURES:

Please refer to the Emergency Management Plan that follows for these elements of performance. In the event of an emergency, the staff will be able to continue functioning in their normal capacity from a home office. Iris Telehealth can still function in its entirety with the use Slack, cell phones, email, and video software such as Whereby, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. The recovery process can be performed by a third-party company while the business operations continue as needed and no patient care is interrupted. 

Policy and Organizational Statements

The purpose of this Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is to describe the response procedures that follow when an emergency takes place. The goal of this plan is to create a safe environment while limiting, as much as possible, the amount of exposure or danger to all employees. The second goal is to prevent as many potential hazards and threats as possible (mitigation). If there is a potential or foreseeable risk, the corporate employees can perform their job functions from their homes. The Iris providers can continue providing care from their home and/or personal office so there will be no interruption to care, treatment, or services due to a threat or hazard at the Austin, Texas corporate headquarters.

During an emergency, the emergency response team has specific responsibilities outlined below. Each team member has agreed to their duty and will provide instruction in the safest way possible for themselves and others (response). Each member also knows the written plan and the first aid kit are at the main lobby desk. All team members are trained annually (preparedness) on the EMP and are made aware of any changes made to the plan by the EMP committee.  After an emergency, the EMP committee will work with the building management to recover lost items and create a plan for creating a sustainable working environment in the least amount of time possible (recovery). In the interim, all Iris employees can work from their home location.

Identify any regulations covered by your plan (e.g., OSHA, fire code, etc.)

In any event that results in the closure of the Austin headquarters, patient care will resume as scheduled. This is possible because each Iris provider works directly from their home or personal office. Corporate employees can also work from home at any time. There would be no change in care, treatment, or services for any patients due to a closure or event in the Austin headquarters.

If an Iris provider has an event at their personal office, they are solely responsible for finding a back-up location that is HIPAA secure. Anytime a provider must work from a different location, they should have this location approved by their Clinical Operations Manager and the Iris IT team. If there is a life event with an Iris provider, then the clinic will treat this like a sick day/emergency day for that provider and cancel the patients for that day just as they would an on-site provider that cannot work.

Potential hazards and risks

* use the response option that makes the most sense here

Evacuation Plan

Evacuation may be required if there is a fire in the building or any other hazard that would be unsafe to stay within the structure. The evacuation team will direct the evacuation of the building and account for all employees outside at a safe location.

• Employees are told through verbal (loudspeaker) and electronic communication (slack and text) to exit the building using the stairwell located by the men’s restroom.
• Employees should assemble immediately in front of the entrance to the Brown Garage which is located on 8^th street half way between Colorado St and Lavaca St (across from the Historic Old US Courthouse). Look for the neon safety vest that the Emergency Coordinator will be wearing.
• The Emergency Coordinator, Alan Valdmets-Harris, will bring the employee roster and visitor log to the evacuation area to account for all evacuees.
• The team will decide if/when it is safe to go back to the building.

Shelter-in-Place Plan 

If an event warranting a shelter-in-place response is issued, a warning will be broadcast throughout the office instructing everyone to move to shelter. The Emergency Coordinator will direct everyone to the shelter in place location in basement of Norwood Tower.

• Employees are told through verbal (loudspeaker) and electronic communication (slack and text) to go to the shelter in place location using the stairwell located by the men’s restroom or the elevators.
• Employees should assemble immediately in this area looking for the Emergency Coordinator wearing the neon safety vest.
• The Emergency Coordinator, Alan Valdmets-Harris will bring the employee roster and visitor log to the dedicated area to account for all evacuees.
• The team will decide if/when it is safe to go back to work or to go home.
• In the event of a long-term shelter plan, the Emergency Coordinator will work with the team to ensure a water and food supply.

 Tornado Warning System & Tornado Shelter Locations

Lockdown Plan

In the event of a lockdown, electronic communication (slack and text) will go out to all employees instructing them to:

• File into the closest room with a locked door, lock the door, and place a desk and/or other furniture propped up against the door. 
• Employees will sit on the floor away from the door with their heads down. 
• Employees should turn the sound off on their electronic devices.
• Employees should stay where they are until they receive notification from Iris or emergency personnel that it is safe to come out.

Persons trained to use the warning system to warn persons to “lockdown“

Instructions for Broadcasting Warnings

The “austincrew” slack channel as well as a text message will be sent to all corporate employees in the Austin, TX headquarters when a broadcast needs to go out. 

Medical Emergency Plan

If a medical emergency is reported, dial 9-1-1 and request an ambulance. Provide the following information:

• Number and location of victim(s)
• Nature of injury or illness
• Hazards involved
• Nearest entrance (emergency access point): 114 W. 7^th St Suite 900 enter the main doors, take the freight elevator on the right side up to the 9^th floor 
• The emergency coordinator, Alan Valdmets-Harris (512) 865-6963 will delegate someone to stand outside the front entrance to the building to waive down the ambulance and escort them through the freight elevator to the 9^th floor
• Alert trained employees (see below) to respond to the victim’s location and bring a first aid kit (located in the Emergency Safety Kit at the front desk).

Personnel Trained to Administer First Aid/CPR

Procedures

• Trained responders should provide first aid assistance
• Do not move the victim unless the victim’s location is unsafe
• Control access to the scene
• Take “universal precautions” to prevent contact with body fluids and exposure to bloodborne pathogens
• Designate someone to meet the ambulance at the 7^th street front door nearest entrance or emergency access point; direct them to victim(s)

Fire Emergency Plan

If a fire is reported, warn occupants to evacuate using loud speaker and electronic communication. Then let the building management know and dial 911 to alert Fire Department. Provide the following information:

• Business name and street address: Iris Telehealth 114 W. 7^th St, Suite 900
• Nature of fire
• Fire location (9^th floor, suite 900)
• Type of fire alarm (detector, pull station, sprinkler waterflow)
• Location of fire alarm (refer to building management for this information)
• Name of person reporting fire
• Telephone number for return call

Evacuation team to direct evacuation of employees and visitors

Procedures

• Emergency Coordinator will communicate with employees through verbal (loudspeaker) and electronic communication (slack and text) to exit the building using the stairwell located by the men’s restroom. There is no fire alarm on the floor, so the communication above will be key.
• Prohibit use of elevators
• Employees should assemble immediately in front of the entrance to the Brown Garage which is located on 8^th street half way between Colorado St and Lavaca St (across from the Historic Old US Courthouse). Look for the neon safety vest that the Emergency Coordinator will be wearing.
• The Emergency Coordinator, Alan Valdmets-Harris, will bring the employee roster and visitor log to the assembly area to account for all evacuees. 
• The team will decide if/when it is safe to go back to the building. 
• The Emergency Coordinator will meet with the Fire Department Incident Commander (IC) or building management contact. They will inform the IC or building management contact if everyone has been accounted for and if there are any injuries. They will also provide an update on the nature of the emergency and actions taken. 
• Follow the fire extinguisher map below if the fire can be contained without evacuation.

Work from Home Plan 

With enough notice, the employees can be instructed to work from home if the building is deemed unsafe or not conducive to a work environment. This may include but is not limited to: snow on the roads, HVAC failure during the hot summer months, power outages, etc. More examples can be found on the threat/incident list on page 2. If employees are already at the office when the threat or incident occurs, employees can be told to continue the rest of their day working from home, with the assumption that the commute home is safe.  

Property Conservation 

• Identify preparations before a forecast event such as severe weather.
• Identify how you will assess damage; salvage undamaged goods; and cleanup the building following an incident.
• Identify the contractors, equipment, and materials that would be needed. Update the resource table at the end of this plan.

Recovery Plan

In the event of an emergency, the recovery team will work with the appropriate vendors to create a healthy environment

Appendices

Emergency Response Teams

Identify the members of emergency response teams not identified elsewhere.

• Facilities or building management staff familiar with building utility and protection systems and those who may assist with property conservation activities.
• Security
• Others trained to use fire extinguishers, clean up small spills of hazardous materials.

Public Emergency Services & Contractors

Warning, Notification & Communications Systems

The following systems are used to warn employees to take protective action (e.g., evacuate, shelter-in-place, lockdown, medical emergency, fire emergency) and provide them with information. The Communications capabilities enable members of our emergency team to communicate with each other and others.

Revision History

Plan Distribution & Access

This Plan will be distributed to members of the emergency response team and department heads. A master copy of the document should be maintained by the emergency coordinator. The plan will be available for review by all employees. 

Provide print copies of this plan within the room designated as the emergency operations center (EOC) (the front desk in the lobby). Multiple copies should be stored within the facility EOC to ensure that team members can quickly review roles, responsibilities, tasks, and reference information when the team is activated. 

An electronic copy of this Plan is stored on a USB drive at the front desk in the Emergency Action Plan kit that allows team member access if electronic communication is down.

EM 02.02.01: As part of the Emergency Management Plan, the organization prepares for how it will communicate during emergencies

Revision Date:  September 29, 2020 

Written/Revised By: Alan Valdmets-Harris

Approved By: Emily Furnari, PhD

Policy Description:  

The behavioral health care organization maintains reliable communication capabilities for the purpose of communicating response efforts to staff, individuals served, and external organizations. The organization establishes backup communication processes and technologies (for example, cell phones, text messages, landlines, bulletin boards, fax machines, amateur radio, television and radio newscasts) to communicate essential information if primary communication systems fail. This policy shall be applicable to Iris corporate staff. The head of the department will review on a biennial basis.

PROCEDURES:

The Emergency Management Plan discusses what forms of communication will be used to let staff and providers know of an emergency. Iris Telehealth will use internal and external forms of communication such as email, text, Slack, and word of mouth to let everyone know if there is an emergency. These systems will also be in place as redundancies in case one or multiple forms of communication fail. Because the office is located on one floor and is open to a communal area, it will not be difficult to relay information in a short amount of time even if all forms of electronic communication were to go down. Refer to the EMP for specific forms of communication for specific types of emergencies. For example, the texting phone tree will be set-up prior to there ever being an imminent threat or emergency and will be tested prior to an emergency as well.